The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 1256, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which would provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with new regulatory authority over the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is a contributing factor to scores of diseases and conditions inflicting misery upon millions of our citizens. Further, tobacco use is a major factor driving the increasing costs of health care in the U.S. and accounts for over a hundred billion dollars annually in financial costs to the economy.

Under the bill, the FDA would be responsible for setting standards for the manufacture of tobacco products as well as regulating the identity and amount of ingredients used in tobacco products. Further, the bill would increase the protections for adolescents by strengthening the prohibition on advertising and access of tobacco products to young people. These provisions and many others in this bill will together yield major benefits to the public health.

The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to further refine the legislation on any issues of potential concern.

Citation:Barack Obama: "Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1256 - Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act", April 1, 2009. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=85939.